10 Thanksgiving Table Topics That Aren’t Politics or the Weather

There are a lot of lovable things about Thanksgiving - seeing family, spending a morning drinking booze and sampling dishes while you help prepare the feast, and dressing up just to hang out in your aunt's living room. There are also some unfortunate parts - like having to answer why you don't have a boyfriend or coming up with something to say when your cousin assumes you're on the same page politically when you are NOT. Here are some topics you can steer the conversation to when there's a lull in the conversation besides the weather. Good luck!

1) Travel

No, I don't mean complaining about the traffic on the way to the host's house that morning. Instead of the usual griping about TSA and other people not knowing how to drive, ask where people are planning to go in the next year - long-term vacations, bucket list destinations, or recent trips are great topics to kick off a long discussion that pretty much everyone can participate in.

2) Other People's Relationships

Before they start bombarding you with questions about when you're going to get engaged or wondering why young people are all about "casual" relationships these days, head off your relatives by asking them about their relationships. What was your grandparents' wedding day like? When did your aunt and uncle move in together? You might be surprised to hear some scandalous stories, spark some nostalgic memories, a or discover some generations-old drama that is no longer touchy to talk about but oh so fun to hear.

3) Fitness/Wellness

A lot of us stress about our weight or feel guilty about overindulging during the holidays when we should really be spending our energy on enjoying the season and drinking in time with family. Chances are your family members are anxious to discuss their own fitness journeys (failed fad diet? Exciting new workout class?) or wellness experiences (have they ever meditated? Would they ever give up alcohol for a month?) Start with your own humorous shortcomings instead of boasting about how you live the #flawless fit life and you'll likely get a good discussion going.

4) Food

Food talk never fails on a holiday focused so heavily on one meal. Instead of commenting that everything looks amazing and asking how long it took them to prepare, focus on specifics to spur longer conversation. Are there any recipes being used that go back generations? What's the craziest method of turkey prep anyone has heard of or tried? What's the most pathetic Pinterest fail someone attempted this year?

5) Careers

It's inevitable that someone will ask you, "how's work going?" To spice things up, try asking the table on of these babies, courtesy of mydomaine.com: If you could have any job in the world, what would you do? Ask older family members to describe their first jobs. Would you ever want to turn your passion or hobby into a business? Do you agree with the quote “find something you love and turn it into your job”?

6) Pop Culture

This doesn't have to be a conversation that stops dead in its tracks because of a generational gap. Try bringing up accessible topics for everyone at the table, like - what are you watching on network tv or Netflix? What do people think about fashion styles coming back around? Black Friday - yay or nay? What's everyone's favorite yearly Christmas movie? Finally, what's everyone thankful for? (You knew this one was coming... it's Thanksgiving, guys!)

Have a safe and delicious Thanksgiving, and remember when politics come up, it's always safe to say "let's agree to disagree."